Oh the craziness today. And pardon the ADHD randomness, but I’m pinging everywhere.

Do you feel it? It’s raining down on me…okay not REALLY raining down on me…although it was supposed to because Tropical Depression 35…(13?…33?…one of those “3” numbers) was headed our way. Now it’s going more north, which is good for us, not good for Louisiana, but I would like a band or two of the wet stuff to stray off our way. My grass is dead.

Not that it is gone…it’s dead but the weeds are still green. They are like alligators and cockroaches. They never die out.

I have to hit the road for Friday night football tonight (go Indians!) because darling daughter marches at halftime. And while we make the hour and a half trek, I’ll be working on a rewrite of book two. In my head.

And hopefully retain those thoughts and not spew them out with the yelling I’m going to do at tonight’s game.

Everyone have a wonderful holiday weekend! I’m going to do nothing but write like a coffee-crazed wild-eyed woman. *holds up coffee cup* Cheers!

Depending upon your perspective on those words, they can make you breathe a sigh of relief or pull your hair out.

I know some fortunate people who don’t work outside the home, that do that “sighing” thing. They are tickled to death to have the house to themselves again, free of chaos and noise.

I’m not one of those people. I work full time, write every other possible moment, do laundry/cooking/cleaning (ok not so much) during those same moments. So back to school time is a nightmare for me. Summer is the one time I DON’T have to worry about homework being done, projects being forgotten/late/researched, after-school practices, meetings, tests, football games (see prev post), little sis gifts, and grades. Back To School is a train that roars loud through the whole first semester.

Not that I should have to worry about all that…my daughter is a junior…but I do. She doesn’t. She doesn’t because she knows that I do. LOL. If it were up to her, life would float by and hand her what she needs when she needs it, and it doesn’t seem to matter how many times that concept slaps her down…she doesn’t change. She wants to…I’ll give her that. She always has good intentions. But that cable that connects intentions to actuality? Yanno…the red cable with the yellow dots…not the black one. Yeah, that one. She’s missing it.

I give her journals to keep track of things because the Momma Can’t KeepDoing This train is about to derail,

but they stay blank or full of notes (to friends, not classes) or pictures she’s doodled or story ideas she has (she’s a writer too).

But the Momma Can’t Keep Doing This train isn’t loud enough, apparently. I’m wondering if the Your Car Stays Home Give Me Your Keys train will be louder in a few months.

What are your thoughts? Are your kids self-sufficient in that respect, or do you have your own trains to manage?

For those not in the South, you may not be familiar with this phenomenon. It’s a crazed but controlled and expected type of chaos that has an entire town donning the team colors and trotting enmass to stadiums from Texas to Georgia.

You don’t have a choice really. I think it’s in the embryotic fluid before we are born. You just know.

My particular hometown is in Texas…where football ranks right up there with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

And I’m talking high school football, in a town that bleeds purple and white. People have season tickets that they bought in 1940, and have passed down their seats to their kids and grandkids. No one gives them up. You go to games on Friday night from the time you are 2 till you are 92. Fire hydrants are either purple or white.

Our team is the Indians, and the fight song is Cherokee played by the marching band in a marching “I” which has been a tradition since the 50′s, and there are custom car horns made to play it. When the team makes it to the playoffs, the entire town hits the road. Small children have the obligatory cheerleader/indianette/indian spirit costumes on, their faces painted, watching their heroes of choice and dreaming of the day it will be them.

I grew up in this town, lived around the country, and then came back, and I can honestly say I’ve never seen this fever anywhere else. There was even a book written about our school and this tradition!!!

“Down The Trails of Victory” (which are words in the fight song)

Do you live somewhere that has over the top traditions like this? Tell me!

Reader Reviews

A Charmed Little Lie review from Library Journal

Contemporary romance readers will love [A Charmed Little Lie], its characters, and the town they call home and will be eagerly awaiting the next novel in the series. ~ Library Journal

2017-05-04T21:23:31+00:00

Contemporary romance readers will love [A Charmed Little Lie], its characters, and the town they call home and will be eagerly awaiting the next novel in the series. ~ Library Journal

http://sharlalovelace.com/testimonials/2177/

Don’t Let Go Review from The Romance Room

Sharla Lovelace has produced one of the most emotionally charged and beautifully written second-chance love stories I have read in a very long time. The characters, the storyline, the twists, the surprises, the emotions, the tears.. everything… it’s just the most perfect book. - The Romance Room

2015-03-06T12:44:18+00:00

Sharla Lovelace has produced one of the most emotionally charged and beautifully written second-chance love stories I have read in a very long time. The characters, the storyline, the twists, the surprises, the emotions, the tears.. everything… it’s just the most perfect book. - The Romance Room

The Reason is You review by Kathryn Magendie

“A spot-on debut novel, Sharla Lovelace’s prose is smart, witty, funny, with a hot sexy edge that makes The Reason Is You an oh-so-tantalizing romantic journey…the line between our world and the mystical one is deliciously blurred.” ~ Kathryn Magendie, author of Tender Graces, Secret Graces, Family Graces, Sweetie

2015-03-06T12:51:23+00:00

“A spot-on debut novel, Sharla Lovelace’s prose is smart, witty, funny, with a hot sexy edge that makes The Reason Is You an oh-so-tantalizing romantic journey…the line between our world and the mystical one is deliciously blurred.” ~ Kathryn Magendie, author of Tender Graces, Secret Graces, Family Graces, Sweetie

The Reason is You review by Therese Walsh

“The Reason Is You is a romantic story about love, ghosts, and second chances. But under all of that, it’s a story about redemption. This novel is the definition of a page-turner.” ~ Therese Walsh, author of The Last Will of Moira Leahy

2015-03-06T12:52:05+00:00

“The Reason Is You is a romantic story about love, ghosts, and second chances. But under all of that, it’s a story about redemption. This novel is the definition of a page-turner.” ~ Therese Walsh, author of The Last Will of Moira Leahy

Before and Ever Since review by Romantic Times Book Reviews

"Lovelace does a great job of bridging the past with the present. The characters are smart, funny and well rounded. It is refreshing to see a female character, with obvious vulnerabilities, exhibit such strength in situations that would make other women cringe." ~Romantic Times Book Reviews

2015-03-06T12:53:31+00:00

"Lovelace does a great job of bridging the past with the present. The characters are smart, funny and well rounded. It is refreshing to see a female character, with obvious vulnerabilities, exhibit such strength in situations that would make other women cringe." ~Romantic Times Book Reviews

Before and Ever Since review by Joyfully Reviewed

"Before And Ever Since is a beautifully crafted, thought provoking story that engaged me from the first few words. The chemistry between Emily and Ben was sizzling hot, and I was quite enamored of these two attempting to work things out…that I could NOT put this story down until I finished it." ~ Joyfully Reviewed, November 2012 Recommended Read

2015-03-06T12:54:52+00:00

"Before And Ever Since is a beautifully crafted, thought provoking story that engaged me from the first few words. The chemistry between Emily and Ben was sizzling hot, and I was quite enamored of these two attempting to work things out…that I could NOT put this story down until I finished it." ~ Joyfully Reviewed, November 2012 Recommended Read

Before and Ever Since review by Cocktails & Books

"Sharla Lovelace is a gifted storyteller. She creates characters that are very down-to-earth, flawed and understand that there isn’t a fairy tale happily ever after waiting for them at the end. It’s raw, it’s gritty and it’s not tied up with a pretty bow, which makes it feel so very real. I look forward to reading more from Sharla Lovelace in the future." ~Cocktails & Books

2015-03-06T12:56:58+00:00

"Sharla Lovelace is a gifted storyteller. She creates characters that are very down-to-earth, flawed and understand that there isn’t a fairy tale happily ever after waiting for them at the end. It’s raw, it’s gritty and it’s not tied up with a pretty bow, which makes it feel so very real. I look forward to reading more from Sharla Lovelace in the future." ~Cocktails & Books